The Moral High Ground? Vietnam? More like Mogadishu!

Today Bush promised a “full accounting” for the mistreatment of Iraqi people while praising Rumsfeld for doing an excellent job.

However, more video clips of soldier inappropriate behaviour have surfaced contradicting Bush’s efforts on the weekend to downplay it to only a few soldiers.

Seven soldiers have been charged as military court marshals are moving forward amidst Red Cross accusations the US had ignored their expressed concerns over prisoner abuse.

You have to really wonder how well thought out this war was planned. If the US is going to claim the moral high ground then it ought to have taken steps to ensure none of this nonsense happened in the first place.

Faster than this administration can do damage control, more and more evidence of Iraqi prisoner abuse continues to surface.

An impressively won ‘conventional’ war has now turned into urban guerilla warfare where the US no longer has the technological edge.

It’s mean … it’s nasty and it’s lethal. I’m beginning to see the point of those who say all that the US is accomplishing is making more enemies instead of ‘liberating’ a repressed people.

Perhaps they should have spent a little more time educating soldiers and planning Iraqi self-governance instead of reconstruction projects for Cheney’s companies. Time to go back to the drawing board boys and girls.

And didn’t you read the sign last May? Golly gosh, it said in real big letters, “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED”. What part of that didn’t you understand? Can’t read the President’s backdrops? Whatta you, BLIND? Illiterate? Heck, they’re in 5000 point type! What more do you want?!

And did you expect “the mission” to include security for Iraq and its people?

Or freedom from fear of rape and torture over there at the ol’ Abu Gharib Prison?

Jeez, look at all the good we’ve done. We cleaned that place up, wiped up all the blood Saddam had spilled, repainted the walls, put new bricks and bedpans in every cell. The place is spic-and-span, fer cryin’ out loud. Just ask the attack dogs.

And looky over there at Fallujah; we whupped ’em good, showed how good our boys can shoot from tanks that are goin’ backwards outta town at high speed.

And that guy we turned Fallujah over to; just ignore the fact that he looks like one of Saddam’s infamous doubles and is wearin’ an old Republican Guard uniform. He gets respect from his boys — somethin’ we’re sorta runnin’ out of at the moment.

Sorry, BB, but you’re outta step with the New Patriotism. And we knows where you live. And how many nekkid liberals it takes to make a flesh pyramid for a photo shoot.

So don’t be speakin’ this crap no more.

Besides, we’ve got a script and we’re stickin’ to it.

PS: KEEP RUMMY!

http://www.blogbloke.com BB

Ssssshhh Sharky.

You’ll blow my cover!

Debbie

“Seven soldiers have been charged as military court marshals are moving forward amidst Red Cross accusations the US had ignored their expressed concerns over prisoner abuse.”

It is being investigated, it has been under investigation since JANUARY and corrective steps are being taken.

“You have to really wonder how well thought out this war was planned. If the US is going to claim the moral high ground then it ought to have taken steps to ensure none of this nonsense happened in the first place.”

It was planned as well as any war can be planned, war is fluid, it changes all the time. Your assertion that the US can’t claime the moral high road is ridiculous because they are at least investigating it and arresting the soldiers responsible for it. It’s not even possible to ‘ensure none of this nonsense happened in the first place’ how would you do that, assign an MP to each and every soldier?

Crime happens everywhere, in every career, to pretend it doesn’t is naive at best.

“An impressively won ‘conventional’ war has now turned into urban guerilla warfare where the US no longer has the technological edge.”

Oh, we have the technological edge, we could just level the triangle….but we are trying to take the MORAL HIGH ROAD here and not kill innocent civilians.

“It’s mean … it’s nasty and it’s lethal. I’m beginning to see the point of those who say all that the US is accomplishing is making more enemies instead of ‘liberating’ a repressed people.”

All war is mean, nasty and lethal. What enemies have we made that weren’t our enemies before? Yes they have liberated a repressed people, have you seen the photos of the mass graves? Have you read the individual accounts of torture under Saddam? Why don’t you read a couple: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/09/iraq/20030920-4.html

“Perhaps they should have spent a little more time educating soldiers and planning Iraqi self-governance instead of reconstruction projects for Cheney’s companies. Time to go back to the drawing board boys and girls.”

I don’t know whose idea this treatment was, but who ever instigated this has something missing in his character, something is missing in his soul and education isn’t going to do squat to fix that!

As for the usual Haliburton chant – can you say LOGCAP boys and girls?

Shark,
“And did you expect “the mission” to include security for Iraq and its people?”

Yes, that is why we are still there, to continue to provide security until the Iraqis can take over. I know you only want to focus on the bad news over there, (because you wouldn’t want to admit that you took the wrong position) but there have been some wonderful things happen over there too.

“And looky over there at Fallujah; we whupped ’em good, showed how good our boys can shoot from tanks that are goin’ backwards outta town at high speed.”

We could just level the place, would that be your suggestion? Or is your suggestion that we ‘turn tail and run because the bullies are coming’?

http://www.blogbloke.com BB

Well Sandra. All I can say to that (speaking very slowly and deliberately) is damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead and more power to ya pilgrim.

Shucks, all those women and children? Don’t personalize it so much – it’s called collateral damage. And it’s only a coincidence they’re kidnapping foreign workers so leave Haliburton alone.

Parting thought by the late John Wayne (McLintock): I know, I know. I’ll use proper judgment. I haven’t lost my temper in forty years, but pilgrim you could’ve gotten somebody killed today and somebody oughta belt you in the mouth, but I won’t. I won’t. The hell I won’t!

http://www.blogbloke.com BB

I mean Debbie (oopsie)

Debbie

“Shucks, all those women and children? Don’t personalize it so much – it’s called collateral damage. And it’s only a coincidence they’re kidnapping foreign workers so leave Haliburton alone.”

but if 1900 civilians have died in this entire war, 1 year, then we have saved 48000 civilian’s lives. Even by conservative estimates there are 500,000 dead by Saddam in 10 years since the gulf war. That equates to about 50,000 each year.

Let’s see 50,000 compared to 1,900… I would consider that a liberation.

http://www.blogbloke.com BB

Hmmmm, now regarding those estimated numbers of saved lives.

Calculated no doubt by the same people that assured us there were WMD’s.

Actually, 1,900 is very low. We have killed about 10,000 Iraqi civilians so far.

Shark

Debbie: 1900 civilians have died in this entire war, 1 year, then we have saved 48000 civilian’s lives. …there are 500,000 dead by Saddam in 10 years since the gulf war. That equates to about 50,000 each year. Let’s see 50,000 compared to 1,900″

For those of you who thought we invaded Iraq because of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Debbie has given you THIS WEEK’S justification for the war: MATH!

Next week’s reason: “But they were wrecking the architecture of the Abu Gharib Prison!”

brown_boognish

Debbie- You cite that Saddam has killed 500,000 civilians since the gulf war. I have no idea where this statistic comes from, but it mirrors another figure. International human rights organizations estimate that over 500,000 iraqi civilians were killed as a result of US sanctions on Iraq since the end of the Gulf war. Perhaps you are citing the same statistic, but mistakenly attributing it to another cause.

brown_boognish

Yes those seven who were caught are being dealt with. But reports suggest that abuse is widespread. I’m just waiting until its discovered just who permitted these deplorable practices.

Debbie

“Debbie- You cite that Saddam has killed 500,000 civilians since the gulf war. I have no idea where this statistic comes from, but it mirrors another figure. International human rights organizations estimate that over 500,000 iraqi civilians were killed as a result of US sanctions on Iraq since the end of the Gulf war. Perhaps you are citing the same statistic, but mistakenly attributing it to another cause.”

Would you mean the oil for palaces program….. those people didn’t die because of our sanctions, they died because Saddam was using them for political clout in the world, he could have fed them but didn’t. But the blame where it really belongs.

Debbie

No I was talking about the gassing of the Kurds, the killing of the Shiites and Kurds right after the Gulf War.

The sanctions strengthened Saddam’s power over his people. Yes saddam could of stopped the sanctions, but why would we ever believe he would? He obviously dosn’t care at all about human suffering, even if its his own people. Why appeal to the humanity of a monster? It makes no sense. Sanctions caused much more harm than good.